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Reviews
Salem's Lot (1979)
Barely average by modern standards
I acquired the original mini-series, televised version of Salem's Lot on DVD, not the trimmed-down, edited "movie version" that exists in the universe, and honestly it was a chore to sit through. 3 hours of very slowly-paced storytelling and characters who simply aren't fleshed-out well enough for the viewer to relate to his/her behavior throughout the story. The tale felt very disjointed to me, not at all well-constructed, and some of the practical effects aren't very good while others are adequate for the day. Overall the acting performances were fine, and it is fun to see the 1970s cars, hairstyles, and wardrobe, but seriously this could have been easily been condensed from 180 minutes to 90 minutes and been just as effective. For me just an average rating. I doubt I will ever watch the original again, but I am now curious to check out the updated, 21st century version that stars Rob Lowe. And of course I will now seek out and revisit the movie follow-up from 1988 called A Return to Salem's Lot while the plot from the original is fresh on my mind. Going into that one with low expectations but also an open mind.
The Amityville Curse (2023)
Generic entry into the Amityville movie family
My expectations for any new movie with Amityville in the title are generally low, and knowing this one was brought to us by a free streaming service I figured it would look low budget. And I was right, it does, and the script is nothing more than serviceable, paint-by-numbers, haunted house horror fare. The set-up is minimal before things begin going bump in the night, and the swift pacing remains fairly consistent throughout the brief 90-minute runtime. What works best here is the cast, each of whom had to realize this project would be nothing more than a marginal paycheck. They all turn in credible performances considering the rather thin writing. A no-harm, no-foul Amityville movie that does nothing more than pass the time on a rainy day.